Supply Chain weekly wrap-up 10/3/14 – 10/9/14

A student at the University of Eindhoven in the Netherlands has developed a 3D printer which can print self-growing snacks. The goal of the student, Chloe Rutzerveld, was to eliminate waste from the food supply chain. In order to make these environmentally friendly snacks, the printer has to 3D print layers of seeds, yeast and spores into a miniature pastry, which has holes in it. Each snack is made according to a personalized 3D file. It takes five days for the plants and fungi to mature and for the yeast to turn the solid inside into a liquid. This 3D printing technology aims to revolutionize the entire food supply chain by eliminating the middle men and bringing food directly to the consumer without any waste.

According to Maplecroft’s Civil Unrest Index, the risk of business disruptions due to civil unrest has increased in 20% of the countries in the last quarter. The risk of supply chain disruption has increased the most in Hong Kong due to the pro-democracy protests, followed closely by Liberia where social unrest has increased due to the escalation of the Ebola virus.

According to Maplecroft’s report, there are 11 countries where the risk level is extreme, including: Syria, Central African Republic, Pakistan, Sudan, South Sudan. Popular countries for setting up manufacturing plants like China, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines are considered to be high risk as well. As a result, companies carrying out their supply chain operations in these countries should closely monitor the situation and be prepared for possible supply chain disruptions.

The Carbon Trust is developing a new certification scheme to recognize the organizations which are taking effective actions to reduce carbon emissions throughout their supply chain. The certification will work as a quantitative and qualitative framework to identify organizations committed to carbon reductions. The technique used by the Carbon Trust will involve measuring impact and improving existing processes and systems of carbon emission reduction. This initiative should encourage organizations to look for new ways to implement carbon reduction programs not only within their organizations, but across their whole supply chain.